Factor invariance between genders on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fifth Edition

•Measurement invariance of the WISC-V between male and female children was studied.•MG-MACS models were used to compare data from a total of 2200 children.•The results demonstrated full factorial invariance between genders.•The WISC-V is not a biased tool against gender and any future gender difference could be genuine.

This study investigated the factorial invariance of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth Edition (WISC-V) between samples of male and female children. A higher-order 5-factor model was tested on a nationally-representative sample of 2200 children aged 6 to 16 years. The results demonstrated full factorial invariance between genders. The WISC-V subtests demonstrate the same underlying theoretical latent constructs, the same strength of relationships among factors and subtests, the same validity of each first-order factor, and the same communalities, regardless of the gender, thus supporting the same interpretive approach and meaningful comparisons of the WISC-V between male and female children.